*Editorial Book Review*
The Execution:
Life and Times of Patrick O'Donnell
Life and Times of Patrick O'Donnell
by Gavin O'Donnell
History tells us that Patrick O’Donnell was hanged in Newgate Prison in December 1883 for the murder of James Carey, the infamous Phoenix Park Killer and notorious Irish informer. History however tells us almost nothing of this remarkable man. Letters sent from Victor Hugo and US President Chester A. Arthur, asking Queen Victoria to show clemency, hint at an extraordinary life for an Irish peasant.
In his extraordinary new book, The Execution, Life and Times of Patrick O’Donnell, the author reveals in intimate and fascinating detail, through a series of letters, the incredible life of one man — and the times in which he lived.
Explore the condemned man’s life and times through this unique work of creative fiction, entwined with historical fact; from the Great Hunger to the typhoid sheds of Quebec; from his service in the Confederate army and capture in 1863; to the O’Donnell massacre at Wiggan’s Patch, Pennsylvania; and ultimately to that fateful day off the coast of Port Elizabeth where he put three bullets into the traitor Carey.
Recognition:
Shelf Media Group: 2023 - Top 100 Notable Independently Published Books
Readers Favourite: 2023 - 5 Star Award
Irish and American History blending real life world events and known biographical events of Patrick O'Donnell with a masterful and compelling narrative. Written in epistolary format with accompanying contextual notes, this novel covers a fascinating period of history.
“I confess I had only a small idea of it until they told me that New York was double the length of Ireland south of Quebec, which in turn also meant nothing to me until they explained it was Clare to Sligo about six times, but a good deal colder. That I did understand.”
Having to flee Ireland to join his uncle in America, 12-year-old Patrick O'Donnell's life is about to present him with the first of many challenging opportunities. By a stroke of good fortune, his brother, Michael, barely a couple of years older, found work as a cabin boy on the Carricks, a so-called coffin ship (because the hull was filled with scores of poor, unfortunate emigrants, many of whom would not survive the crossing), and the boys set off, unaware at first that they were heading for Quebec, not New York!
But when the ship sinks in a storm, just before it reaches harbour, Patrick finds himself alone, penniless, and although still alive, he is soon locked up on Grosse Island in the infamous Quarantine Sheds, where every arrival, regardless of whether they showed any signs of typhoid or not, were confined. If you hadn't been ill before, you were bound to suffer now...
When Patrick recovers from a fever, he forms a gentle friendship with Hanora, an Irish nurse who had lost her husband at sea, and her children in the Sheds. This relationship – not quite mother/son nor lovers – marks an important turning point in Patrick's life.
Abuse and maltreatment was rife on Grosse Island, and you were only allowed to leave with a health permit, which was hard to come by. Hanora had stayed on as a nurse, but many of those who ’looked after’ the sick were criminals who volunteered to get out of prison, and at some point gain their freedom early.
This meant they were not acting in the patients’ best interest, but often robbed the vulnerable of their already meagre belongings.
When Patrick comes upon an attack on Hanora by such a thug, he acts swiftly, and together, they hide the criminal’s loot.
So, following their departure from the island, Patrick and Hanora are now rich beyond their means. They head southwards, but it's not only the humans they have to watch out for – it's the wild animals in the forest that could end their days prematurely.
How will they cope on their arduous journey towards New York and beyond? Well, you should really read the book!
Gavin O'Donnell's novel The Execution: Life and Times of Patrick O'Donnell is a fascinating and incredibly detailed fictional account about the man condemned to death for the murder of James Carey, himself involved in the infamous Phoenix Park murders.
In The Execution: Life and Times of Patrick O'Donnell, we follow the at times truly incredible adventures and misadventures of Patrick O'Donnell, a poor migrant from Donegal, Ireland, who had to leave family and famine behind, to begin a new life across the Atlantic.
We learn much about O'Donnell’s life through a series of letters, purportedly written to Victor Hugo whilst Patrick awaited execution following a swift trial. The first-person narrative of those letters reveals close up the man he was, and his motivations, in an intriguingly intimate narrative style.
Each chapter contains one of Patrick’s letters, with added explanatory historical background detail provided by the author, which gives us a full picture of particular events. He also adds footnotes, which is really handy for quick checks.
From an early age, Patrick O'Donnell is used to death. Not only from people starving all around him, but also senseless attacks and little to no justice in rural Ireland firmly in the grasp of the British Empire. As his urge for survival pushes him to the limits, he seems to develop an emotional distance to people – perhaps with the exception of Hanora, at least in the early years. His quick wit and high intelligence help him make the most of each situation.
We must remember that he is only in his early teens when he finds himself in a strange place – Quebec – far from family or anyone else he knows. The journey should have really taken him to New York, from where he could have travelled to kin in Pennsylvania.
But as it is, Patrick's instinct for survival is strong already, and he always acts swiftly, and without any qualms, to stay alive. It was a steep learning curve for one so young, and it's not surprising that it left its mark on the man he was to become.
Regarding the man himself, I must admit I did not find any redeeming features in him as a person. Probably born from his strong sense of survival and personal experience of cheating and mistreatment, he uses people to get what he wants. In part, that's what his relationship with Hanora is about, but they are also close companions (not lovers) for years. But when Hanora suffers a mental breakdown, and her condition worsens, his reaction is somewhat unexpected.
In his letters, he tends to make excuses for anything, arguing his stance each time as perfectly acceptable, if not always correct. I found this quite tricky to read in places, but again, one should always bear the historical background in mind.
Patrick’s sense of resignation also shines through, in that he considers the conviction unfair, but at the same time, he appears resigned to his fate. This is in contrast to his voracious hunger for survival that threads through his whole life.
Patrick O'Donnell is a man of his times, and times were tough, especially if you were Irish. Chased from their home country, and not generally liked by many American settlers either, it's clear he feels like an outcast at times, and his attitude seems that he wants to prove them wrong, to ’show them’. Whatever that may mean...
However, one thing the letters don't make him out to be is an Irish Republican (unlike in many articles published about O'Donnell). He regards himself as American, with ostensibly little interest in the country of his birth or its politics. This is in contrast with the general opinion you find about him and his purported reason for Carey's murder. Was it a fatal misunderstanding, the shooting, as he claims in the letters? Was he paid by the Irish to eliminate Carey? Or perhaps by the British Empire, to rid themselves of the turncoat who may have indeed masterminded the Phoenix Park attack?
The letters leave these questions open, and if Patrick O'Donnell had indeed written those letters, in the face of execution, would he not have told the truth? The author cleverly hints at this being a fictionalised account based on true events, so readers are welcome to make up their own minds as to whether they believe the letters are real – which some do – or not.
The pace varies greatly throughout the novel, quite understandably, with some events racing across the pages at breakneck speed whilst others linger. It strongly resembles the ebb and flow of life, although we certainly have much more flow in O'Donnell's adventures which take him from Donegal to Quebec, on to New York and Pennsylvania, into the American Civil War, and lastly on his ill-fated journey by boat to the Cape with a woman who is not his wife.
However, the author's explanations, whilst useful, also form a narrative duplication of what we have read in Patrick's own words already. At times, I found the author's notes stop the riveting flow of certain events mentioned in the letters, just when you want to find out what happens next. The style of letters and author's comments is an unusual one, which requires engagement from the reader. The events outlined in letter format are fascinating, though, and reading them in O'Donnell's supposedly own words give them veritable credibility; they form an intimate portrait of the man and his motivations. Ultimately, this novel is a different kind of read – one which must not be rushed – as there is much to be absorbed in each chapter before you turn to the next.
The Execution: Life and Times of Patrick O'Donnell by Gavin O'Donnell is an extraordinary novel about a remarkable man who beat the odds (most of his life) in a breath-taking series of adventures. With Patrick O'Donnell's life, packed to the rafters with intriguing personal and political events, it is a novel that deserves to be savoured, right up to its surprising ending. Then, it will be a truly enlightening – and historically enriching – reading experience.
Recommended for readers who enjoy novels about real events; about political plots, underground movements, and personal achievements against the odds. If you love learning about the past, this one is a must-read!
Review by Cathie Dunn
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Gavin grew up in Wales, Ireland, North Africa and England. An elective mute until the age of 5 his first word was ‘Texaco’... don’t ask. Aged 11 unable to read properly he was classed as Educationally Sub Normal (ESN).
He studied Construction Management in Limerick obtaining a degree and later, at age 40, by way of distance learning he obtained his Batchelor of Laws at Nottingham.
He retired early from a varied career from the nuclear industry to construction project management. After retiring he and his wife Linda refurbished several cottages in SW France and built up a small holiday business before selling up and returning to rural South Wales; where they now reside in a self-built stone cottage along with three cats, Jess, Bob and Kpo, several chickens and a few thousand bees. Their two grown children and one grandchild live nearby.
Gavin started writing in 2019 with a memoir about the loss of their daughter in a fire in Bordeaux, in 1990. A few short stories followed and then his ‘piece of resistance’; 'The Execution, Life and Times of Patrick O’Donnell', which is by far his most ambitious project to date. A work of creative fiction closely bound to and conflated with historical facts.
Recognised as Shelf Media Group: 2023 - Top 100 Notable INDIE Books and Reader Favourite: 2023 - 5 Star Award
His screenplay for ‘The Execution Life and Times of Patrick O’Donnell’ reached the 2022 Scriptation Showcase Script Competition quarter finals.
He is currently working on a humorous but serious novel about mental health, and how it is misunderstood; it is entitled 'Brian'.
